***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 17

No problem!!!! Drink your coffee :)

"My cousin is on the USS Constellation. I emailed him and asked him on his next flyover to please take out that statue."

ROFL !!

(And tell us when he's w/in a few minutes of his target, so we can all watch LIVE !!)

Gen Renuart sure giving long press conference this morning.

Would love to see an Abrams blow the head off one of those big statues.

Here we go with her daily civilian question.

I don't think I got the unit right, but Sanders said the place was HUGE, a large number of buildings, underground bunkers, munitions from all over. He saw Russian, Egyptian--even US--markings on the stuff. He'll be updating later.

BTW, he said they usually blow these things up.

Stop screaming :-))

USA Today chick: U.S. troops are "cornered".

Sigh.

"destroy them with the written instructions you have been given"

arghh

and something about shave their knees.

Where are the WMDs?? Where are the WMDs?

They just gave him the hook, he's wrapping up with stupid questions from the USA Today bimbette.

Many Moans and groans.

It looks like all those folks who said that the military was exaggerating her wounds for PR purposes were wrong:

The wounds were found during treatment of her left leg and right arm for fractures and were "consistent with low-velocity, small-caliber rounds," such as a small rifle or handgun, said Dan Little, Lynch cousin.

"It's not a machine gun. It's not a large caliber-rifle. It's nothing like that," he said.

He said evidence of shrapnel was discovered next to bones, but he didn't know exactly where on the arm or leg. Little said he didn't get into specifics with the doctors.

There was a fella name of ******* KIA early on in this battle. My brother called me last night and reminded me that 20 years ago or so as a little baby he was at my house (and in my arms). This is a small world and a small nation. Prayers for his family please. His daddy died just a few years ago (Navy vet) and his mama's all alone.

(I x'd out the boys name)

Renuart says saddam regime cut the power in Baghdad, and supposed a Sadddam speech or video is coming up, guess its body double time! its so obvious these doubles are fake, Saddam hates physical contact from others, he would never behave like a Macy's Xmas Santa, no way no how.

LOL!

Some idiot tried to attack an Abrams with a FIRE TRUCK!

USA Today chick: U.S. troops are "cornered".

She stood up today. She must've diverted brain power to her legs.

Stephie? I thought Koppel left first?

Stephie went to CENTCOM, but left quickly. He was the one Wolfe was referring to when he said that ABC's "lead reporter" had left because there wasn't any "value" to the briefings. More likely, little Georgie left because he learned that the creature comforts weren't quite up to his spoiled standards...

Koppel's still embedded, AFAIK, but I tuned out ABC the second day of the war, and won't be back.

CENTCOM - Sat. Apr. 5:

Maj. Gen. Gene Renuart-

"The plan goes on on timeline and in the direction we like it to go."

"We continue building our forces..began some months ago..On 21st began insertion of Spec. Ops..and strike on Baghdad..key leadership targets...we think our (strike ) were very favorable...

secured oil fields in the south...the objective was to secure before the Iraqi regime could destroy them...down to 2 well heads to be secured...fires put out...We have a number of breaks in the pipeline, ignited..we have brought the majority under control...repaired.

"Moved w/ 1st Marine Exp. Force from S. to no. in first days. We seized key bridges, air fields, engaged RG...

"A lot was made about...supply lines...I think we've shown that (we did it) in a steady fashion w/ great results.

Various corps. moved in Iraq...helping locals, getting the bad guys (lots of detail!)

"N. on (Mar)27th - 103rd Airborne ...(arrived in north) to help ops w/ Kurds...

"Humanitarian aid continued....

"Water pipeline was constructed...from Umm Qasr north...water almost completely restored in Basrah...

"Yesterday, 3rd ID from Karbala just so. of city center...forces moved to the w. to attack and secure airport...have completed that ops. and hold airport...forces continut to flow in...1st Mar Exp fo. atack RG and moved to establish op base on SE edge of Baghdad...

"First UK armored Div. moved so. thru oil fields and we now ahve substantial...oil (stuff) under our control...continue to attack remnants of regular army in e. part of country...

Re. Spec. Ops: Into W. No and So. Iraq...to estab. relationships w/ local leaders, set conditions to take airfields, locate weapons, .."those operations have been highly successful" "attacked a terrorist base...potentional chem. , combination of Spec. Ops and Kurds...continue to locate and eliminate bad guys in No.

"Spec. Ops, Marine, Air Corp and Army...freed PVC Lynch...

"We continue to (keep \) key bridges and bring in humanitarian aid...

Throughout all..."we've encountered an enemy...who chose to use fear and brutality...use shields to protect the bad guys...seen bad guys in civilian clothes...string wires across roads to decapitate (US)...on and on ...other acts of terror..

"This has been an unconventional enemy...but not one we (haven't been trained for)...

"The people behind the scenes assure that we have the tools we need..on the battlefield..." "The line of communication ..from Kuwait up to Baghdad...is about 350 miles...2500 logistic support vehicles traveling this road on any day...moving food, fuel, water and human. assist....65 million gallons of fuel moved into the area to allow our forces to (continue)...enough to go around the world 52 thousand times...the cost, the support required to keep these ops going is substantial...nothing short of hurculean...1 1/2 million lit of water per day, 2 mill. tons of spare parts and support equip moved around battlefield each day....1/3rd of a mill. MREs eaten each day..."We continue to have great days of supply at each point .....

CMOs "Civil Military Ops"...NGOs...1000 metric tons of wheat delivered yesterday, NGOs delivering kerosene to allow families to heat homes, food programs ...warehouse in Basrah...

DART teams...designed to respond to disaster...we've formed the largest DART team in history..(3 pronged) .Turkey, Jordan, Kuwait...for humanitarian relief..

Re. PVC Lynch: "The facts of this are important...there is nothing done on this battlefield that is not a joint operation...each nation contribution, each force on the battlefield...is integrated..."About the 23rd Mar. her 507 Maint. corp was ambushed...a number were killed, captured...we began to get local word in community...may be injured milit. member held in this hospital...we planned, studied...had not only good intel but access and a feasible plan. On APr. 1st US army rangers, Navy SEALS, Marines, Spec. Ops...designed to get in quickly, locate, PVC Lynch, get her out...and (locate bad guy stuff). "Diversionary tactic..drew bad guys into fight in other part of town..Marines w/ ground transport and air support moved into hospital...assault force pursuaded local physician to lead them to PVC Lynch (and remains), PVC Lynch was scared, had sheet over her head, lowered her sheet. soldier said, Jessica Lynch we're the United States Marines and we're here to take you home. I'm a United States soldier too." "Prepared, moved, to helicopter,..Jessica held up her hand, held onto Ranger..said :Please don't let anybody leave me." Was clear she knew where she was and did not want to be left in enemy hands.. Our guys cont. searching, found weapons cache, model of town of Nasirayah...showed our basic locations in town...lead to burial site, did not have shovels so dug them up with their hands...to be off the site before the sun came up..to bring their own home. The force recovered all bodies. We've since returned those bodies...8 were in fact form 507 and one from 3rd ID. Loved ones have been notified...we grieve the loss of our soldiers...

Questions:

Reporter complains that he didn't know we were in Baghdad ? "The first clarity of what was going on...one of the embedded reporters...(riding into Baghdad)..."This was an ops conducted by 2 task forces of ID, raid thru to Tigris river, continued west to airport..."Why your colleagues weren'ta ble to see this from (center) of town? (Says can't see all of London form one place).."I'm pretty comfortable the reporters gave you an accurate scene...ability of the coalition forces to move (in times and places of their choosing)...

"In no way should my comments be taken as a victory speech. Victory will come...there are many parts of (town where we face enemies)..the fight for Baghdad is in no way finished...

"You can created a base of ops. ...the airport gives us a substantial base...whether we (make that a main base, time will tell)...Re. enemy resistance at airport: "varying degrees w/ varying sizes but with no success." Functionality of airport...we can do that quickly, mostly dirt on runways..."BD Airp. has two sides...two runways...one had military aircraft and we obstructed that one...(the Iraqis messed up the other one...we'll clear the dirt mound...start using it (when we choose)..

Re. RG: "It's difficult for people to understand the power of air power...the integration of fires from both land and air was substantial..we were able to take advantage of air superiority to (prepare) the battlefield before forces actually moved in...

Re. suicide bombing at BD Air: "We've had a couple of reports...the one today, taht has not come up on anybodie's radar...I think it was a media report....

"We've seen a number of RG units in and around Tikrit."...as our forces moved to Baghdad...many RG forces were thrown into fight...

Re. the initial strike on the bad guys: "Favorable means really good. We hit exactly where we wanted to go." Re. Saddam tapes yesterday..we know that in the months before combat ops a number of tapes were made. "The fact of the matter is it really doesn't matter."

"Our ops that moved from the south, out to the west were very successful...the challenge for us was pockets of very intense fighting...the fight through there..a number of irreg. forces + RG, RPGs , nests of ireeg. w/ tech. vehicles, AAA weapons, 23 mm, cannons used against our forces...intense fighting in areas...in other areas...people were standing on sidewalks waving to us...clearly there is confusion in Baghdad."

"I'm not sure I can define to you waht the center of Baghdad is...the Tigris Riv. makes a narrow bend...near center..then turns west...taht's about as close to the center as I can define..

Re. Chem ALi being in that hospital w/ PVC Lynch: "We think that he was there but on the eve. of the attack he was not there...we are tracking him and will continue until he's eliminated (cool)..Re. PVC Lynch's injuries...don't know how obtained..

Re. mixed messages given to Baghdad residents..Iraqi propaganda...why is the Info Min still broadcasting? "The techn. for broadcasting is pretty sophisticated..you can purchase broadcast time...there are a numb. of satellite companies who have sold time to (the Iraqis - we're working in a number of ways to make sure that doesn't contineu).."We're broadcasting on Iraqi TV...beginning to see many more leaders.(Iraqi) become much more supportive of coalition forces...interest in getting (our) message out..have to be careful...has to be honest message for the Iraqi people..(Re. electricity being out)..." In certainareas there is electricity...certainly Iraqi TV has electr. so they've taken it away from their people (and given it) to themselves."

"We have now in custody some 6500 Iraqi military members...many who have surrendered w/o a fight...we haven't been able to get to some of those (units we think might surrender). Many units we have seen just left their equip. and went home.."

"Coalition forces are in the city of Baghdad...demonstrates to the Iraqi leaders that they (are not in control)...I think we made that point."

"On the battlefield messages are critical to your strategy. I am not going to tell you what forces we have..in the city. We are moving very well along the plan that we have laid out...(it) will become clear."

Re. sending the message that WE, Not Saddam, are in charge: "It's as important to demonstrate control of the battlefield as it is to demonstrate support for the people." Our intent was NOT to take the power out. We did NOT take the power out - Iraqi regime did ...we know where power located..it is our intent to get the power back on...it is a complicated battlefield...we continue to move forces in number of location s throughtout city..as we are able to create stability..we'll get (power back on, etc)...

Re. fired commander :"I'm not going to discuss it. Commanders have to make decisions about leaders under them...not fair for me to go into why..that's his decision."

"Not be a good thing to discuss how much or little contact we have with Iraqi officials....I think it was very clear to people of Baghdad that coalition forces were in the city (choice of moving in in daytime) was a very clear statement to the Iraqi regime as well...can move into their capital city (at time and place of our choosing)..

Flew something close to 3000 sorties...1500 around (Baghdad?)...a relatively typical day...

Re. will coalition invite any independent analysis of suspected WMDs. "The battlefield is a pretty dangerous palce right now...it's important for us to gain control of (suspected sights),,I'm sure there are thousands of (people who will do independent whatever...)

"Gen. Franks, and we have all been consistant..it will take as long as it takes." "It's not fair to try to put a time to it. It's important that we achieve our objectives....unfair to put timetable on commanders in field...may or may not be realistic..

Re. hand to hand combat in SE Baghdad report by embed, including foreigners.."Refugee...i E. side of city is Marine zone...had some very challenging combat in last 36 hours...infantry moving through positions on battlefield...certain that they probably ahd some difficult (fighting..re, foreigners, no way to confirm, but wouldn't surprise..)...

"We want to create a situation where reinforcements don't get into the city (isolating Baghdad), we've had some reports of people leaving to the n. and nw...contrary to the Inof Min., I think many people in Baghdad are concerned because they see coalition forces...that they'll be caught in a crossfire...we ahve not seen large numbers..of refuges...elderly gentleman who packed household, moved ...checked out and protected by Marines...

Re. human shields, "I have not seen it on the battlefield (have seen in cities...we are trained for those situations.)...

Re. Tikrtit: "I don't know what the situation is in the city...we have had Spec. forces in the area, I don't think I said we closed the road... leadership moving out of the city.?..rather not speculate...rather leave it at that...

"I don't have any indication ...water supply turned off (or sanitation)...what have the civilians been doing in city? In some place sidewalks are quiet...some people are trying to ahve a fair degree of normalcy...there are parts of the city that (probably don't know we're there yet)...

Re. cornered regime, likelihood WMDs will be used?: "I think any person that feels threatened is likely to lash out in a way that might not be expected....(we wouldn't be surprised at anything they'd to...even in the city among their own people)...we're prepared...Re. unconvention attack.."He said that there would be this amazing new attack last night and I don't know what that was unless he meant the videos." (We really are trained...) "We will continue to see those type of tactics...I don't feel that will be a distraction for us." (re. tiny truck taking on Abram's tank in suicide attack)...

120 bunkers FULL of stuff. The military expert on MSNBC said he couldn't ID some of the stuff--he's describing a canister with Cyrillic writing. He's asked David Kay, who was with UNSCOM. Kay says it looks like a chemical dispenser.